Jörg Wacker, Bayern Munich Executive, has become the latest high-end figure to criticise the proposed German State Treaty.
The legislation has sparked a debate within iGaming, with rules such as a €1,000 monthly deposit limit being questioned. Affiliates also face multiple advertising restrictions, especially during live sporting events.
Questioning what’s legal and what isn’t
Wacker, who is also a former Bwin Managing Director, questioned what constitutes to illegal in the German market. When speaking to national tabloid BILD, he said the following.
“The term illegal is completely unsuitable for the majority of German operators, who hold EU licenses and are sanctioned by Schleswig-Holstein,” he said.
Schleswig-Holstein is the only state permitted to grant online betting licences right now.
Wacker continued with the below.
“The legal situation has not been clarified for 15 years, but that does not mean that operators are illegal. German bookmakers paid €500 million in tax revenues last year, meaning that there is a legal basis in which they operate.”
Scrutiny
The current German champions have been scrutinised for partnering with Tipico, a Malta-based operator. But Wacker defended this, stating that the Bavarian club only partners with ‘market leaders’.
Wacker was also critical of the monthly player deposit limit. Rather than protecting players against gambling-related harm, he believes that this will do the opposite.
“Is it really like that?”, he questioned. “If products like in-play betting and poker are allowed does Germany suddenly become a land of gambling addicts… Sodom and Gomorrah! These products have been offered in Germany without restrictions for over a decade now and that outcome has simply not happened.
“The same applies to game manipulation. A €1000 deposit limit and a ban on live betting carry the greater risk of consumers migrating to the black market, where they will wager higher amounts. The black market is easy to find these days, so we are better off keeping players legal.”
Last week, Deutsche Sportwettenverband (DSWV) – Germany’s sportsbook governing body – revealed sports wagering statistics for 2019. Citing statistics from the German Ministry of Finance, it was revealed that stakes in this vertical rose by 21% compared to 2018.
